Human
by Sister-Heartless
Summary: Tony's partner before Kate has been gone for three years. When she is reassigned to Gibbs' team, will anything be the same? They were so close back then...closer than close. Can they make it work? What the hell happened to rule 12?
1. Si Volvieras A Mi

Wooh! My very first story on the web! I'm feeling a little nervous...ok...very nervous... Oh man, somebody get me a bucket... *sigh* Okay. I'm good. I can do this. Anyway, I appreciate any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Everyone know what that means? Okay. Just making sure.

Muse: GET ON WITH THE *#&$^ STORY!

OKAY! Okay, geez. All right. On with the story. =D

_Tap tap tap tap tap tap _went Tony's pen as he repeatedly tapped his desk with it. He had done this for nearly ten minutes, staring at the clock. _Tap tap tap tap_- "Tony!"

Tony stopped the tapping and grinned. "Problem, Zee-vah?"

Ziva took a deep breath, and gave an obviously strained smile. "Yes, as a matter of fact." she said. "Your incessant tapping is driving me up a building."

"Uh, wall, Ziva," McGee input from his desk. "Drives you up a wall."

Ziva waved her hand as to swat away the comment. "Whatever, McGee. The top line is that the noise Tony is making is irritating, yes?"

Tony snorted at her mistake, but McGee ignored both the mistake and him. "Yes, Ziva. It IS very annoying," he said, glaring at Tony.

DiNozzo sighed and stretched his arms out in front of him. "Can't help it, Probie. Just can't wait until quittin' time."

Ziva gave a sly, mischievous smile. "You have another hot date, yes?" she said, pulling her hair up into a pony tail.

"It disturbs me that you don't know the appropriate phrase for being annoyed, but you know 'hot date,'" Tony replied. "And no, I don't, believe it or not."

A brief pause of silence. "Then...what has you so anxious to out of here, Tony?" Tim said, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"I'm going to pick up a friend at the airport-"

"Which is where we should be headed right now, Anthony," Ducky said, having appeared out of nowhere wearing his coat and hat. "That is, if we are to pick up our friend on time," he said, smiling.

Tony looked up at the clock and grinned. "Yes!" He snatched his coat off the back of his chair and grabbed his bag. He took off for the elevator. "C'mon, Ducky! We're gonna be late!"

Ducky laughed. "I'm coming, my dear boy. Patience." He smiled at Ziva and McGee. "Have a good weekend, Ziva, Timothy." With that, Ducky left for the elevator, leaving the other two agents at their desks, confused.

"That was weird," Tim said. "I didn't know Tony and Ducky had any mutual friends-besides us. Did you?"

Ziva shook her head. "It seems unlikely, but it is a possibility. Perhaps someone they know from before either of us came to work here?"

Tim shrugged. "Maybe. I just thought it was weird how excited Tony was. I mean, that's his normal reaction to a date, not just an old friend."

"Hmmm, true," Ziva said. "I am just thankful that Gibbs was not here to listen to Tony beating his pen against his desk."

McGee gave a small laugh. "I know, right? Gibbs probably would have stabbed Tony in the leg with his pen."

Right at that moment, Gibbs walked in, heading straight to his desk. Tim gulped. Gibbs said nothing, putting on his jacket and turning off his lamp. Still nothing. Tim and Ziva shared a worried look. Gibbs headed towards the elevators, but stopped and turned around. "What are you still doing here?" he said. "Go home!"

"Yes, Boss!" "Right away, Gibbs."

Tony and Ducky arrived at the airport relatively quickly. There was no traffic, but parking was a pain. After a literal twenty minutes of wandering the parking garage, they finally grabbed a spot. They walked into the bustling airport. Tony grinned as he and Ducky walked over to security. "I've been waiting for this for ages, Ducky," he said. "It seems like it's been thirteen years instead of three."

Ducky pat his friend on the shoulder. "Anthony, it will be well worth it, I'm sure."

They showed security their NCIS identification so they could go to the gate instead of waiting at baggage claim. When they arrived at the gate, they stood in silence for a few moments. "Ducky," Tony said, briefly hesitating. "What...What if things are different? What do I do then?

The ME looked up at the younger man. "What do you mean, Anthony?"

Tony sighed. "Casey and I. It... It's been so long...and I'm sure a bunch of things have happened to her...things that I won't understand because I wasn't there with her...or things that have hurt her... We used to tell each other everything. We shared everything with each other. What if... What if we don't connect the way we used to?"

Ducky smiled reassuringly and pat Tony on the arm. "I wouldn't worry about that, my boy. She is obviously not concerned. She _did_, after all, ask that you pick her up. Not Gibbs. Not Abby."

Tony gave a small laugh. "But she asked that you be here to pick her up too, Ducky. What does that mean?"

"Perhaps..." Ducky replied. "Perhaps she was hoping I'd bring Mother with me. You know how much Mother adored her... I believe that to this day Mother still thinks you are Caseila's driver." Tony laughed at this. "Anthony, it will be fine. Do not worry. If she were anxious, I doubt she would have sent you as many letters as she did this week alone."

Tony considered this... _Maybe I shouldn't have shared those with Ducky..._ but his thoughts returned to what Ducky had said, and he smiled, a warm feeling coming over him. A few seconds later, a woman announced over a PA system: "Flight 760 from Carson City has arrived. Flight 760 from Carson city has arrived."

Tony exhaled. "This is it."

Ducky chuckled. "I don't believe I have ever seen you so anxious about seeing a woman, Anthony."

Tony whispered to himself. "This isn't just any woman..."

A few moments later, the door opened, and passengers of multiple ethnicities with varying amounts of luggage began to file out. Tony looked...and looked, but he didn't see her. Then... she was there.


	2. When You Say You Love Me

I got a bit of feedback on chapter 1... I decided to be brave and write chapter 2... Forgive me for making my few readers wait so long. I'll try to be better about updating regularly...at least weekly. All righty. Here we go!

* * *

_Tony, Casey, and Gibbs quickly but silently approached the house. Gibbs motioned for Casey to go around back while Tony backed Gibbs up at the front. They all knew that their suspect was going to run, but they were ready. He would not escape again... Gibbs counted down with his fingers. When he reached one, he kicked the door in, and Tony dashed inside, gun pulled. "NCIS! Federal agents!" The house was silent. Gibbs backed him up as they began to clear the very large house. Various shouts of "Clear!" from the three of them were the only noise in the house. The house was extremely large, but there hadn't been enough time to call in for reinforcements. Tony searched the last room on the upper floor... "Clear!" Gibbs and Tony began to make their way downstairs. _

_ "Federal agent! Put down your weapon!" they heard Casey yell from downstairs. Two guns discharged. Tony and Gibbs ran down the stairs, guns still drawn. When they got to the kitchen, their suspect lay on the ground dead, and Casey was on the ground, her hands firmly pressing on her thigh. "Through and through," she said nonchalantly, as if she DIDN'T have a hole in her leg. "About time ya'll got down here." Gibbs knelt at her side and swept off his jacket, wrapping it around her leg. "How big is this damn house, anyway?" she said._

_ Gibbs looked up at Tony. "You gonna call a bus, DiNozzo? Or are you just gonna sit there and watch your partner bleed to death?" _

_ Tony woke up out of his daze, and immediately pulled out his cell. "I need a bus at 359 Summer Court..." _

Tony snapped out of his memory, remembering that she was THERE. At that moment. She didn't see him at first, but as she made a quick sweep of the area and quickly saw Tony and Ducky. She smiled, and she ran to him. She dropped her backpack before leaping into Tony's arms laughing, her arms around his neck holding him tight. Tony grabbed her around the waist and swung her around in a small circle. She laughed even more. "There's my Tony!" she said, as he put her down.

Tony grinned as well, hugging her again. "I've missed you Case."

"Missed you too, babe," she whispered into his chest. Their moment was interrupted by Ducky clearing his throat. Casey gave a small laugh. "Sorry, Ducky," she said, hugging him as well.

Ducky laughed as well. "It's perfectly all right Caseila. I know Anthony has missed you just as much as I have. Welcome home, my dear girl," he said, patting her back as they hugged.

"It's good to be back. Nevada was WAY too hot if you ask me," Casey said, picking up her backpack again.

"Well, I say we go to luggage claim," Tony said, "and get you out of here."

"Sounds like a plan!"

Tony drove quietly, listening to Ducky and Casey catch up. Ducky was telling her about Jimmy replacing Gerald, various cases they had had, his Mother and her Corgis... Pretty much everything. Casey talked about how unbearable the Nevada heat had been, the late nights, the friends she made... At that last one, Tony couldn't help but be a little jealous as she raved on about this "hilarious and kindhearted" guy named Chase who had become one of her closest friends in the three years she had been gone. Finally, they arrived at Ducky's house to drop him off. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Ducky? We're just headed to Tony's to do some more catching up," Casey said through the open window as Ducky got out of the car.

"No, my dear. As much as I would love to, I'm afraid I have a very early morning tomorrow. I have a consultant coming in about a case." Ducky leaned through the passenger window and kissed Casey on the forehead. "Good night. You two behave yourselves," Ducky said, giving a mischievous look to Tony, who gave him a look that clearly said "What?"

They waited until Ducky had gotten inside before driving off. They rode in silence for a moment before Casey reached over and took Tony's right hand and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I missed you, kiddo," she said.

Tony pulled up to a red light, taking this opportunity to gently caress her cheek and kiss the top of her head. "I missed you too, Case." He took a moment to take in the smell of her hair. It hadn't changed. It was perfect. This was perfect. She-

A car horn honked behind them right as Casey said "Green light" and laughed. Tony slammed on the gas pedal, and they took off, Casey continuing to laugh. Finally, after they managed to get away from the driver that ruined their moment, Tony slowed down. "If that's how you drive normally, it's a wonder you haven't been pulled over. Has Gibbs been giving you lessons?" she said.

Tony grimaced. "Gibbs AND Ziva. Sometimes I wonder who is worse," he said as they pulled into the parking lot for Tony's apartment. They got out and opened the trunk to pull out Casey's luggage.

"I'm looking forward to meeting this Ziva. And McGee as well. You've told me so much about them. It'll be nice to place a face with the person." Casey turned then squealed, running towards a car and "hugging" it as best she could. "My baby! I missed you!" she said. Her "baby" was her silver Altima, named Silvia.

Tony laughed. "I told you I'd take care of her. She's got a full tank of gas, and I took her to be washed yesterday."

Casey ran back to him and kissed him on the cheek. "You're the best, Tony." Tony grinned and slightly blushed at the kiss as the two of them made their way up the stairs to Tony's apartment. When they finally made it in, they put her stuff in the small hallway by the door.

"You want coffee?" Tony said, holding back a yawn. Casey shook her head, toeing her shoes off. "It'll keep me up all night, and I, for one, am exhausted." The two collapsed on the couch, Tony's arm around Casey's shoulders and her head on his shoulder. Both of them let out a deep sigh, closing their eyes and relaxing into one another and the couch. "Tony," Casey mumbled.

"Hmm?"

"We can't sleep here. We'll be in so much pain in the morning."

Tony leaned his head down to kiss the top of her head, then sighed again. "Yeah, I know. But I don't particularly feel like moving."

Casey smirked, then pushed herself up. "C'mon cowboy. Let's go." She offered her hands to him and he took them, pulling himself up. She wrapped an arm around his back and he kept his arm around her shoulders as they walked into Tony's room.

"You want me to take the couch?" Tony said.

Casey smirked again. "Seriously?" she said, pulling off her T-shirt and jeans, leaving her in her underwear and a black tank top. "Tony, we're big kids now. And if I remember correctly, we've done a lot more than sleep in the same bed...which we've done multiple times."

Tony grinned and began to undress as well. Finally the two climbed into bed. They lay next to each other, not even touching, looking up at the ceiling. They lay there in silence for two minutes before Casey broke it. "This is ridiculous!"

Tony chuckled, relieved that he wasn't alone in how he was feeling. "Yeah, I know."

Casey propped herself up on her elbow and looked at him. "I mean, c'mon Tony. We were in a relationship for several months. Almost a year. Why's tonight different from any other night?"

Tony sighed. "Because you were gone for so long."

"I mean, this was very narcissistic of me, but I automatically assumed we'd get back together as soon as I got back. I didn't even ask you if you have a girlfriend. I assumed you didn't since you said I could stay here tonight."

Tony quietly laughed. "I don't have a girlfriend, Case."

"Then why are things so weird?" she said. "Why aren't we picking things up right where we left off? Can we even get back together? I mean three years is a long time..." _Oh boy_, Tony thought. _She's ranting._

"You could've gotten married or something while I was gone and I never would've known. We never had time to write to each other." Casey continued to ramble. "For the first year we talked on the phone, but we both got so busy. I mean, I saw people while in Nevada and I'm sure you saw girls here, but does that mean we can't get back together? What if we-"

Tony silenced her with a gentle kiss on the lips. He reached up and touched her cheek. "Case, you're thinking too much," he said quietly. "It's different because things happened to both of us. A lot of things. But yes, we can get back together if we want to. And Casey Juliana Carter, I want more than anything to get back with you. I need you so badly. I've missed you." Tony kissed her again.

When they parted, Casey was giving him a look. "You've been reading my romance novels again, haven't you?"

Tony got a guilty look on his face. "Maybe... For research."

Casey scoffed. "Research, my ass."

Tony wrapped his arms around her and straddled her waist. "If you insist," he whispered coyly before diving in for another kiss. They kissed for a few minutes, reveling in the feel of one another. When Tony attempted to open her mouth deeper, Casey grunted and gently pushed him back.

"Tony, you know I love you, hon. But I won't be able to stay awake much longer," she said, looking sorry.

Tony breathed out a heavy breath slowly. "You're such a tease."

She grinned. "I know, and you love it. But tonight's one of those nights when we need to sleep together. Literally. We _sleep." _

Tony laughed, rolling to the side. "Fine," he said, pulling her against him so that her back was against his stomach. "...but you owe me."

Casey looked over her shoulder at him. "If you insist," she said, grinning. They kissed once more, then they both settled down to sleep.

Right before he dozed off, Tony heard Casey whisper "Missed you, DiNozzo."

Tony gave a sleepy half-smile. "Missed you, Carter," he whispered back. The two fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Well, what do you think? I've gotten back into my writing mood recently. I've been doing a lot of photo and video editing, but I missed my writing. Plus I needed to get back into the swing of things before tackling JulNoWriMo.

So I know Casey's character is still a little vague and unknown. But all will be revealed in time. Read and review!

Much love,

SisterHeartless


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